Discrimination

I got a text from a good friend this morning saying that he was given a two-week vacation or I mean time off for doing what he was told. I was ready to march into this guy’s workplace and demand to talk to the plant supervisor. How in the world can they do this when he only did what he was told? I know last Friday wasn’t an official holiday but many businesses either took off the whole day or part of the day. So it would be easy to either misunderstand a directive or take the day without pay.

My friend, who is a great worker, has had difficulties where he is employed because of racial tension between the management and the workers. It makes it really tough when you go to HR to file a complaint and end up sensing you are about to be fired because of taking action to protect yourself. I live in a diverse community where it is easy to see someone making slanderous statements about different ethnic groups. I think most today believe that the workplace is exempt from this type of action.

I know that updating a resume and looking for a better job doesn’t mean that racism won’t happen in the workplace. I am trying to instill in my teens that whether you believe it or not you have to actually do a better job of presenting yourself because of this type of discrimination. I know that getting your first job is huge in today’s world, especially for at risk youth. I try to explain that in the past your school record, credit report or financial situation didn’t matter much. The question was whether you could do the job and had at least a few references to back up your story.

We took a mini-staycation at our favorite local resort. We enjoyed a leisurely swim in one of the pools. We did this two mornings in a row and ended up having interesting conversations. Both of these discussions ended revolving around the way we respond to people and circumstances around us. These ladies both came out of very different backgrounds. What became clear is the need to open our eyes up to seeing how our family culture and experiences in life either help prepare us for the future or become a detriment to our succeeding. These ladies both worked with disadvantaged youth from very diverse backgrounds.

I have another friend who had worked at a grocery store for over 18 years only to be fired over using her customer service card for one of the customers. It was obvious that the newest manager didn’t want any of the older employees around. The manager didn’t follow normal protocol but in spite of my friend’s plea for fairness and help from the union rep she was terminated for helping a customer. I ended up not shopping at this store for the last 2 years in protest.

I know that racism and discrimination in the workplace won’t stop until both the employees and customers stand up more and become advocates for those who have been treated unjustly. Yeah, I was rather ticked this morning to get this text from my friend. I’m now helping him update his resume and hopefully find a better job in a better company.